Second album by Metallica, Ride The Lightning, was recorded in three weeks with producer Flemming Rasmussen at the Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. The artwork, based on a concept by the band, depicts an electric chair in the midst of a thunderstorm. The title was taken from a passage in Stephen King’s novel The Stand. Although rooted in the thrash metal genre, the album showcased the band’s musical maturity and lyrical sophistication. This was partly because bassist Cliff Burton introduced the basics of music theory to the rest of the band and had more input in the songwriting. Instead of relying strictly on fast tempos as on Kill ‘Em All, Metallica broadened its approach by employing acoustic guitars, extended instrumentals, and more complex harmonies.

Fans are used to seeing Metallica rock massive stadiums, but last night (Sept. 27), the metal legends played an intimate club gig at New York’s Webster Hall for about 1,500 lucky fans, and we were fortunate to among those in attendance. This is complete show recorded live at Webster Hall in New York, NY on September 27, 2016.

Metallica’s 1st album, Kill ‘Em All is regarded as a groundbreaking album for thrash metal because of its precise musicianship, which fuses New Wave of British Heavy Metal riffs with hardcore punk tempos. Its musical approach and lyrics were markedly different from rock’s mainstream of the early Eighties and inspired a number of bands who followed in similar manner.

Metallica began their long journey back home some time after nearly imploding during the recording of 2003’s St. Anger. Hardwired…To Self-Destruct arrives 13 years after that album but it, almost more than its 2008 predecessor Death Magnetic, feels like a repudiation of the band’s ’90s, the years when Metallica shined up, slowed down, and got a lot weirder. Sprawling over two discs when it could’ve fit onto one (an aesthetic choice certainly meant to evoke memories of 1988’s double LP …And Justice for All), Hardwired…To Self-Destruct does indeed rage, roaring out the gate with a title track where James Hetfield bellows “We’re so f***ed/S*** out of luck.” That palpable desperation recalls the free-floating angst that fueled Metallica’s ’80s, but Hardwired…To Self-Destruct doesn’t find the quartet scrambling to sound as ferocious as they did during their heyday. Often, they do unleash the fury — “Moth into Flame” gallops forward in a manner reminiscent of “Battery” — but there’s no denying that Metallica are an older band now, either incapable or uninterested in maintaining that intensity over the course of a full double album. When they slow down, it’s not exclusively to churn and brood. “Murder One,” a salute to departed Motörhead leader Lemmy, may belong in that category, but “Am I Savage?” teeters between ominous dirge and intricate transitions, while “Dream No More” has a backbeat that nearly swings. “ManUNKind” also has a bit of buried funk in its rhythms and that, along with the preponderance of complicated suites, is a clue that Hardwired…To Self-Destruct is primarily the work of Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Kirk Hammett doesn’t have a single songwriting credit — allegedly, this is due to the guitarist losing an iPhone filled with riffs just prior to recording — and he’s also diminished in terms of solos, leaving Hardwired as a showcase for Metallica’s musical constructions. If the riffs don’t always sink in deeply — and if the entire production feels slightly monochromatic — what impresses here is the thought and musicality within the compositions and the performances, elements that have always been at the band’s core and shine brightly on Hardwired…To Self-Destruct. ~~AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Death Magnetic was the band’s first album to be produced by Rick Rubin, making this their first album since 1991’s Metallica (Usually known as The Black Album) not to be produced by Bob Rock. The album received mostly positive reviews upon release, with critics describing it as a return to the musical style of their early albums. Death Magnetic is the band’s first album to feature bassist Robert Trujillo.

Death Magnetic was the band’s first album to be produced by Rick Rubin, making this their first album since 1991’s Metallica (Usually known as The Black Album) not to be produced by Bob Rock. The album received mostly positive reviews upon release, with critics describing it as a return to the musical style of their early albums. Death Magnetic is the band’s first album to feature bassist Robert Trujillo.

St. Anger is the eighth studio album by Metallica. It was the band’s last album released through Elektra, thus marking the end of the second-longest timespan between studio albums from Metallica, with nearly six years between the release of Reload and this album. It is also the final collaboration between Metallica and producer Bob Rock, whose relationship began with the band’s fifth studio album, 1991’s Metallica.

S&M (an abbreviation of Symphony and Metallica) is a live album by the American heavy metal band Metallica, with The San Francisco Symphony conducted by Michael Kamen. It was recorded on April 21–22, 1999 at The Berkeley Community Theatre. This is the final Metallica album to feature Jason Newsted as bassist.

Garage, Inc. is a cover/compilation album by Metallica. The title is a combination of Garage Days Revisited and their song “Damage, Inc.”, from Master of Puppets, and the album’s artwork draws heavily from the 1987 EP. The album features songs by artists that have influenced Metallica, including many bands from the new wave of British heavy metal movement, hardcore punk bands and popular songs. As of August 2013 the album has sold more than 6 million copies worldwide.

Reload is the seventh studio album by Metallica. The album is a follow-up to Load, released the previous year, and Metallica’s last studio album to feature longtime bassist Jason Newsted. Reload debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 436,000 copies in its first week. It was certified 4× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipping four million copies in the United States.